Cyrus & Margo

True Story: The Steak

2011-05-26T18:08:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, my loving husband took me out to a nice dinner in Houston at Vic and Anthony's Steakhouse. I've never been a big fan of steak, but it seemed like the best choice for a nice restaurant in downtown. (I was secretly planning to get lobster.) Cy convinced me that lobster is for a trip to Maine, and steak is for a trip to Houston. I conceded and skeptically ordered the filet mignon.

I had no idea what I have been missing. That steak was truly mouthwatering! I am officially ruined.

We haven't had steak since, and I was grocery shopping (which sometimes takes a herculean effort for me) and saw some great looking steaks. I picked one out according to price per pound and size (to feed us both). I put it in the fridge for Cy to grill the next day.

The next evening when I came home, I was on the phone with a friend and was in quite a deep discussion. She lives across the country and we were catching up, so I put the steak out and left the rest to Cyrus. He gave me a funny look when he picked it up, but I was too engaged to process what he was trying to tell me.

At dinner, I was supremely disappointed in the steak. I didn't want to insult Cy's grilling, so I didn't say anything and chewed and chewed away at each little piece until my jaw hurt. Cy didn't say a word about it. Later, I finally confessed that I wasn't happy with our steak and I felt like maybe the amazing Vic and Anthony's filet mignon had ruined me. He grinned at me and said, "that was a roast, love."

A roast. I made him grill a roast to medium-rare. And he might have never even mentioned it. He's a good man. And now you know the extent of my culinary skills. :)

Spring Flowers, Doggies, and Chocolate

2011-04-02T20:09:00.001-05:00

Spring is in full force here in Austin. Some days it feels like summer already.

Here are some of our potted flowers and plants around the house. Special thanks to my mom for helping me pot the flowers when she was here in March. :)

A few of my favorite things

2010-12-23T15:34:00.002-06:00

There are a few things in my life right now that are my favorites. Here are some of them:

Oversized handmade coffee mugs

Thanks to Jeffrey for the secret santa gift of this mug!

Peonies (a new favorite)

Cyrus got these for me. Good husband. :)

My new red hair!

It was semi-permanent and is already fading. Perhaps the reason for my sad face in this picture?

Bob's Red Mill Oats!

Howie the turtle at work. :)

Don't laugh, it's perfectly adult to have a coping mechanism at work.

Colored folders. There is method to my madness!

This picture. I feel this way a lot.

Credit: hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com

The red wall and white Ikea lamps in my office. :)

Refurbished Rainbow Vacuum

Excellent for living with allergies and pets.

Rachel Perry facial scrub

Super teeny tiny flowers!

I zoomed in, but it's tiny!

Gluten/Casein/Soy Free Yumminess

I am on my second box and have yet to actually bake some.

Getting packages from UPS. Or FedEx.

Yikes, I need to wash my windows!

Our new bed!

Courtesy of Tempur-Pedic. This amazing bed is changing my life.

This wouldn't be an adequate list without these two, of course.

And finally...

The fact that I'm posting this from home and now officially on vacation until next year!

As of right now, the last one is probably my top favorite thing. :)

Life Changing Discovery

2010-12-04T15:46:00.000-06:00

So the pollen and environmental allergy discovery was pretty eye-opening. Since then, we've completely cleaned out our HVAC system, bought a new mattress and pillows (thinking for just 5 minutes on dust mite feces was life altering alone), and a new vacuum.

Then I saw a naturopathic doctor for help managing the allergies outside of pharmacotherapy. A few lab tests later, I find out I'm very allergic to gluten, casein, and soy.

That means: no bread, no cheese. (And a lot of other things, but these stuck out to me in particular.)

Unrealistically optimistic, I thought, "no problem! Who really needs bread and cheese anyway? This will be fun!"

Reality set in at work one afternoon. I thought I had packed enough almonds and sweet potatoes to keep me happy for a full 10 hours. Turns out cutting out breads and cheeses does something (and I have no idea what, but it's happening to me!) to my insides. I'm hungry all the time! I don't know what to think of it, but I'm hoping it's a transitioning period. If it's not calmed down in a few weeks, I'm going to call the doctor and see what she suggests.

Someone told me twice this week that I'm losing weight - not a side effect I'm going to lament over. But, seriously, I'm so hungry, it's not funny. Within an hour of eating I'm hungry again.

Can you tell it's bothering me that I'm hungry all the time?

At least I found something to keep my mind off of the hunger: http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/. She is so funny, I've cried 3 times from laughing too hard since yesterday. I could spend hours reading all of her posts in one big gulp.

Inspired by the above mentioned blog, I had the brilliant idea to illustrate what I think my stomach looks like right now. I have a serious appreciation for her MS Paint art after this pathetic attempt:

But it made me laugh and forget my hunger. :)

Meet Maru.

2010-10-28T12:18:00.002-05:00

I am a self-proclaimed addict of the cheezburger network. One particularly adoable kitteh frequently graces the pages of this blog: Maru.

Take a deep breath, and enjoy the gold standard of cute:

Pollen = Evil

2010-10-24T12:10:00.007-05:00

I've been feeling run down more and more over the past few years, and it's taking its toll on my mental and physical well being. After seeing an ENT for the 3rd time for sinus congestion, she suggested I be skin tested for local pollen allergies.

Long story short, I have severe allergies here in Austin! 32 of of 38 pollens tested positive, and many of them were severe (hence, "pollen = evil"). According to the Allergy and Asthma Center of Austin, we have 3 pollen seasons:

After the skin testing, the doctor decided I'm not a good candidate for allergy shots because I had a severe systemic reaction to skin testing injections. So what is my other option? Pharmacotherapy. Not exactly encouraging to me.

We've done a number of things around the house to decrease dust, which I think is helping. I'm going to try some other things in the next year to avoid relying on allergy meds. It's going to be a battle, and I'm hopeful for improvement, though recovery from allergy symptoms seems to take a long time.

I'll post updates later about some things I'm trying. :)

If you are interested in what pollens are in your area, check out Pollen.com:

Repost: June 2008 Methow Valley

2010-10-20T13:00:00.004-05:00

http://cyrusmargo.blogspot.com/2008/06/north.html

Switching back to blogger is a good idea. Why do I know this? I'm cracking up reading the history of posts!

Above is a repost of a good one a few years ago.

Moving Back :)

2010-10-20T12:45:00.002-05:00

Alright, I tried WordPress but don't really like it.

So I'm moving back to Blogger :)

I still don't post much lately, but when I do it'll be here.

We're moving!

2009-07-25T16:02:00.004-05:00

Experimentally, at least :)

I'm going to try out WordPress for a while. Please see us at:

cyrusmargo.wordpress.com

Yikes

2009-06-16T20:38:00.003-05:00

Dear blog readers, (those of you who remain faithful after this long bout of burnout) :)

I'm still here, just a bit dormant. New blog look again - probably temporary because I'm not that satisfied with it.

We do plan on doing a bit of family traveling this summer, so I'll try to post some pictures and updates. Thanks to everyone who might occasionally still check in on us here. ;)

Sincerely,
Margo

Free Online Courses at MIT

2009-03-15T21:09:00.003-05:00

Yes, that's right. That is what I said. And you will not believe the options available!

Go to: ocw.mit.edu

Now, I understand this is not equivalent to actually enrolling and taking classes at MIT. But still!

And if MIT isn't what you want, Yale has it too. Who knows how many other Universities offer this... I think I've just scratched the surface. I have to give credit to the University of Wisconsin-Madison Distance Education Program (in which I am current enrolled) for enlightening me on the world of open online courses.

If your curiosity or thirst for knowledge or whatever you want to call it has not found an outlet... here it is. :)

Austin Bike Plan Petition

2009-03-15T12:28:00.002-05:00

Make Austin a cycling city! Check it out and please sign the petition.

New Look!

2009-03-14T16:55:00.000-05:00

As many of you know, I'm a terribly restless blog designer. :) So, I think this is design 4 or 5 in the last year. But I think I will be able to stick with it longer because I can just change the header pictures.

What do you think?

Spring is coming!

2009-02-28T20:41:00.006-06:00

So here's a few early spring photos from the back yard :)

A little Redbud:

One of our young fig trees:

No doubt I will have more on spring, as it is my favorite season here in Austin. I've enjoyed watching the trees budding from my bike.

Weeks 5 and 6

2009-02-28T20:36:00.002-06:00

I've been crazy busy at work and then ended up sick, so I'm sorry for not posting earlier. Week 5 I road 3 days, and last week I rode once (which I was happy about - only making it to work 3 of 5 days).

AND ... TADA! A picture of my cute little bike - complete with safety lights and bags. :)

Week 4 Biking Report (and other stuff)

2009-02-14T11:30:00.009-06:00

I can't believe I'm actually reporting on Week 4! This is quite exciting! And testament to the "take it one day at a time" approach.

Speaking of "one day", I only rode in one day this week. But that's ok, it's still week 4, and I am still riding and loving it!

I really wish I had a picture for y'all, I will get one - because blogs can be boring without them. But seriously, when I get home after a long day of work and riding home, the last thing I want to do is ask Cy to pull out the camera and take a picture of me that I know will go on the world wide web. So, be patient, it may be a while. :)

I do have a few non-biking pictures. First, we bought the girls new beds from Costco, which save a little more space than the last beds we had for them. Cy's mom mentioned that they look like pumpkins; I have to agree. :)

Also, Cy fixed up his broken down MacBook Pro for me to use... so I have my very own laptop now!! I'm really enjoying it. Thank you honey.

Oh, and Happy Valentine's Day!

Week 3 Biking Report and Government Lesson

2009-02-07T10:38:00.002-06:00

I loved biking this week - the weather was nice and it's such good exercise. The part of west campus that I go through south of 29th street stresses me out a little bit because of all the student drivers. The good thing: there are tons of bikers in that area and bike lanes (although merely a suggestion at best). So at least I'm not going to be a big surprise to drivers.

Cyrus and I are going to explore other options so I don't have to stress so much in there. :)

And now for our government lesson. Basically, the US of A is not a democracy - it is a republic. I didn't try too hard to find sources to check the information, but based on a Wikipedia article on "Republic", I wonder if it is really as simple as the lesson describes.

Anyway, here it is if you have 10 minutes for an interesting lesson: American Form of Government video from wimp.com

Biking Week 2 Report (A bit late)

2009-02-03T20:53:00.004-06:00

The reason I haven't posted Week 2's report yet is because my bike was in the shop all week, hence I rode my trusty gas-powered vehicle every day. :) I got my bike back yesterday and rode in today - WOW - it feels good! My shifter (um, I think there is a more specific term, but you know, that shifty thing that changes gears in the hub) needed some adjustments. It felt great to be back in the saddle today!

On a sad note, I dropped my iPhone on Saturday and broke the front screen. Turns out it is still worth something in parts, so I'll be able to recoup some of the cost of having to buy a new one (AT&T does not insure iPhones - go figure).

Cy is Published!

2009-01-29T12:19:00.006-06:00

It is with great honor and delight that I announce Cy's first published paper!

The paper is called GENERAL ONGANIA AND THE ARGENTINE [MILITARY] REVOLUTION OF THE RIGHT: ANTICOMMUNISM AND MORALITY, 1966-1970, and was published in Issue 17 of Historia Actual Online Journal.

Congratulations, honey!!

Biking Week 1 Report

2009-01-26T12:09:00.008-06:00

Sorry to be so late in posting a report on my first week commuting by bike. Firstly, it is so fun I can't believe I've been missing out all this time! Last week was perfect weather, which certainly added to the experience. :)

My knees are doing quite well. The break over the weekend and a little therapeutic ice helped my right knee get through some of the shock from all the unaccustomed labor. My wrists are bothering me more, so I need to make some posture corrections.

I've been telling myself: If I want to be treated like a vehicle, I have to act like a vehicle. (Wait, that sounds similar to something my mom told me in high school... I guess moms are right.) ;)

On our ride in this morning Cyrus had to remind me about this, as I ran a few lights to make up some time. That is not acting like a responsible vehicle. As Tim suggested, I need to take the time I need to take, and not try to make it up. Patience young cycling padawan...

Funny Story

2009-01-19T20:26:00.013-06:00

In response to Tim's request, I'll tell y'all why I won't be hurrying to catch up with him on our commutes (he rides by our house, so we share part of our route).

Soon after Cyrus bought me the Novara I'd ridden to work a few times, but not enough to really get in any kind of biking shape. I have a history of knee injuries and biking is very good strengthening for my knees. However, if I overdo it my knee will swell up and I have to lay low until it calms down. So Cy strongly advised me to take it easy and go at an easy pace.

So I was on my way home one day and I saw Tim up ahead waiting at a stoplight. I was excited to see him on the road so I naively rode up to him and said hi. Tim has been riding to campus on a daily basis, commuting twice the distance I was attempting, for a year or maybe two at this point. We chatted a bit before the light turned green and rode on through the Central Market parking lot, across Lamar into the Rosedale neighborhood and chatted the whole way (Tim, for the life of me I can't remember what we talked about). I started feeling strained, but I could see Tim was riding slowly for my sake. Little alarms were going off in my head: "this is not an easy pace for you, Margo", but it was clearly an easy pace for Tim so I didn't say anything and pushed on.

By the time we got to my house and waved good-bye, I parked my bike, walked into the living room and layed down on the floor in complete, utter overexertion! Cyrus walked in not too long after I did, saw me in my state of exhaustion, and asked what on earth happened. I explained that I saw Tim and rode with him for a while, trying to keep pace with him, and he confirmed what I now knew: don't do that. :)

I'm not sure if Tim was aware of my impending death on that fateful day, but when I told him and Hannah about it we all laughed so hard. So this is why when I see you Tim, I will still be excited and encouraged and will still try to say hi... but I probably won't try to keep up. :)

Commuting by Bike

2009-01-16T22:58:00.007-06:00

Ok, starting next Tuesday, I am officially commuting by bike. No more excuses. No more slacking.

Cyrus bought me a Novara commuter bike, similar to this one, with lights, a rack, pannier bags, bright orange reflective stuff... yea, I'm equipped. :)

But why? Saving on gas. Exercise. And that feeling you get from self-propelled travel. My commute is only 2.74 miles! (Yes, I calculated it on Google Maps.) I am so looking forward to this.

Look for reports on my quest to commute by bike. Reese, Tim, and Cy, you are my inspiration - keep it up!

Notes from a Roadtrip

2009-01-15T21:59:00.006-06:00

Wow, here it is, the full trip!

View Larger Map

It was a honor (and a blast!) to move Erik and Emily up to the beautiful Pacific Northwest. We miss them so much.

I didn't do a real calculation, but based on the oil changes of the truck I estimated that we drove between 5500 and 5800 miles in 22 days and 21 nights. The views were spectacular! There is something special about seeing so much of your country from the road. I wish I could put this feeling into words, but I haven't found them. Increased awareness, maybe? Anyway, it was lovely and I want to do the east side of the country now!

Here is a little wrap-up:

In addition to the vista highlights, there are a few items of note that come from a road trip such as this. I will try to remember them all now that I've been back in the throws of a boring, working life. :)

- Distance and time become currency, and get less expensive as the days go on
- iPod FM transmitters do not work in the city
- Audiobooks become essential for psychological survival
- I-35 is officially the most psychotic and dangerous stretch of road I've ever driven (in good weather!)
- Gas station restroom cleanliness becomes (alarmingly) relative
- You will develop ninja-like skills to exit a gas station after washing your hands without touching a single thing
- Turning the steering wheel is rarely necessary on I-70 through Kansas
- Bill Bryson is hilarious
- Best Western Hotels have awesome waffle makers
- No matter if you've been through it or not, the Redwoods National Park is worth it!
- True love is going back out to the truck in 20 degrees F for the 5th time just to get your down slippers :)

Home Sweet Home

2009-01-12T23:41:00.001-06:00

We are in Austin safely home! :)

OKC

2009-01-12T08:58:00.001-06:00

We are in Oklahoma City picking up some stuff for Abigail, Cy's
sister, to bring down and store in Austin. It's a 6 hour drive to
Austin and we hope to be home by dinner :)

East of the Rockies

2009-01-11T18:06:00.000-06:00

What a change of scenery! We are going straight through to OKC now
that conditions are open, flat and dry. Should be home on Monday :)

Vail, Colorado

2009-01-11T13:08:00.001-06:00

Going by the infamous ski town Vail :)

Glenwood Springs, Colorado

2009-01-11T10:53:00.003-06:00

Conditions on the I-70 passes to Denver were icy last night, so we decided to stay in Glenwood Springs so we could go over the passes during the day. As it turned out, we landed in a cool little town built around a natural hotsprings! We went to the hotsprings pool and stayed in historic Hotel Colorado:

We have a long day to Oklahoma City today. :)

San Rafael Swell

2009-01-10T17:32:00.000-06:00

Wow! Can't wait to show y'all more pictures of eastern Utah on I-70.

Utah Snowy Mountains!

2009-01-08T19:33:00.003-06:00

WOW! Hello Utah! The drive to our current destination, Park City, UT, was breathtaking! Here are some shots of our drive through the snowy Utah mountain ranges and our entry into Park City at sunset. Park City is the site of the 2002 Winter Olympics (correction: not the 2000 Olympics, but 2002).

The nice hotel room is where we are staying tonight, with a view of main street... Don't be surprised if we end up staying here a week... ;)

Sweet Family Times :)

2009-01-08T19:23:00.003-06:00

I regret being a little burned out with the camera the night that we got together with all my family in Issaquah, including my grandfather Papa. But we got a few pictures of some family times in Longbeach, Issaquah, Kirkland and Pullman, WA, and Lewiston, ID during our visits.

I still wish we'd had time to visit more friends we miss so much.

Wasatch Range

2009-01-08T17:20:00.000-06:00

Near Salt Lake City

Snowville, Utah!

2009-01-08T15:57:00.000-06:00

That's right, Utah! We are on the road and conditions are bare and
dry. Beautiful snowy vistas like this.

Safe in Boise, Idaho

2009-01-08T00:12:00.001-06:00

We've safely made it from Pullman to Boise! Staying the night. Snow
pictures coming soon :)

On the Road Again!

2009-01-06T15:05:00.001-06:00

We've had a wonderfully restful time with friends and family (we
regret not seeing everyone we wanted to see) here in Issaquah. We are
just now heading east for Pullman and will stay with Reese (Cy's
brother) and Emilie and continue on tomorrow through Lewiston, ID.
More on our planned route home to Austin soon! Thanks for following
with us. :)

Relaxing in Long Beach, Washington

2009-01-01T17:51:00.004-06:00

After dropping off Erik and Emily in Portland (sniff, sniff) we stayed the night with Cy's aunt Cheri in Oregon City. After a delicious breakfast we headed out to Long Beach, Washington to visit Cy's brother, Reese, and his wife Emilie's parents. I've known Mary, Em's mom, for so long and haven't seen her since our wedding! It is a special treat to be here relaxing with everyone on the PNW beach rhythm.

My parents came down for the New Year's celebration and we had a huge fried oyster and fresh crab feast! Later we had sparklers and roman candles off the deck before Asher and Audrey (Reese and Emilie's kids, our nephew and niece) went to bed for the night.

Oh, I also went crazy on the Legos like I used to as a kid for a while - I included some shots of my masterpiece. :) Enjoy!

We are here!!

2008-12-28T15:42:00.002-06:00

At the meeting hall in Portland! Thank You Lord for a safe, enjoyable trip!

We are a little bummed that the snow is already gone, but it's better for moving :)

Lastly, here's one more slideshow of the forest on the northern California and Oregon coasts:

Homestretch!

2008-12-28T10:54:00.002-06:00

We stayed in Coos Bay, OR last night and have about a four-hour drive to Portland from here. All of the passes are quite clear and it is well above freezing now, so we just expect rain :). Almost there!!

Oregon!

2008-12-27T20:45:00.001-06:00

More Cali :)

2008-12-27T01:11:00.001-06:00

We traveled on past San Fransisco and are staying in Eureka, CA. Here
is a shot of us playing in the sand after making lunch at the beach on
the road today (that's me in the shadow). :)

San Fransisco

2008-12-26T17:36:00.001-06:00

Wow, the Golden Gate Bridge was beautiful but pure tourism craziness.
Here's the only iPhone shot I could get if the city, bay and bridge as
we passed.

Hwy 1 to Santa Cruz

2008-12-26T12:24:00.003-06:00

Yesterday was spent in awe of the California coast on Hwy 1... I had to login in the hotel to post these because the views were spectacular!

Today we are leaving from Santa Cruz, CA, up HWY 1 to San Fransisco (look for a post from the Golden Gate Bridge!), then up HWY 101 to just south of the Redwoods National Forest. So we can see the Redwoods in the morning tomorrow. Still no definitive ETA in Portland. :)

Morro Bay

2008-12-25T11:58:00.001-06:00

In a brief break from the storm.

Santa Maria Valley

2008-12-24T18:13:00.002-06:00

In front of beautiful kale fields!

Did I mention Trader Joe's?

2008-12-24T14:10:00.001-06:00

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh yeeeeeaahhhhh

Camping at Joshua Tree

2008-12-24T11:29:00.002-06:00

We're in a hotel with wireless right now, so I though I'd quickly post a few pictures from our camping night in Joshua Tree National Park.

The views of the mountains and sunsets, windmills, etc. coming into California was just so beautiful, we have to show y'all:

Today we start from Santa Barbara (this town is fun! TRADER JOE'S!!! Whoo hoooooo!), and will go up Hwy 101 as far as we can. Considering the condition of I-5, we are going to stay on the coast as much as we can to stay in the best conditions. Looks like we only have rain in the forcast today... no more dessert weather. :)

I'll keep posting from my phone too. ETA in Portland? Not sure yet - depends on the weather. :)

Los Angeles!

2008-12-23T19:04:00.002-06:00

California Border!

2008-12-22T18:33:00.001-06:00

Headed for Joshua Tree, CA

2008-12-22T11:10:00.001-06:00

Cy and Erik are checking on the truck before we leave this morning.

Our plans for tonight are to camp at Joshua Tree National Park, CA,
weather permitting. If we get there and it's raining (30% chance
today) we'll push through to get somewhere north of L.A.

Benson, Arizona

2008-12-22T02:06:00.003-06:00

We have safely arrived in Benson, didn't quite make it to Phoenix. We're discussing our options for tomorrow and the next day and watching the weather. I think we'll try to make it to Bakersfield, CA -ish tomorrow, just south of the snow.

Will check in tomorrow with a picture. :)

West Texas

2008-12-21T13:17:00.001-06:00

We made it out of Austin at dusk and rolled into Fort Stockton at
2am. After sleeping in, we're back on the road. It's cooooold but
clear :). Going to try to make it to phoenix tonight!

Perdenales Electric Co. In Johnson City

2008-12-20T19:39:00.001-06:00

Correction: we were in Johnson City, not Fredericksburg.

It WILL all fit!

2008-12-20T17:01:00.001-06:00

Ack!

2008-12-20T12:47:00.003-06:00

Why am I posting at 12:45pm from my computer in Austin?... ACK! Because we are running so late. :( I have a serious the-house-must-be-absolutely-clean-before-departure complex. So in addition to other little things that happened with the truck this week, we are already a half-day behind. I'm so sorry Erik and Emily!

Anyway, the purpose of this post is to let everyone know that we're going to still try to make it to El Paso (~10 hour drive) tonight, but if not we'll have to stay in some small west Texas town. That would be interesting, indeed. :) The weather is good for driving in Texas, so we may just push as far as we can stand it today. (Can you believe that El Paso is half way between Austin and Los Angeles?? That still blows my mind.)

Ok, I have go to scoop doggy poop from the backyard... ONWARD!

Road Trip Update

2008-12-18T22:09:00.000-06:00

Due to the winter storm that just hit our formerly planned route, and is sticking around north of Redding, CA, we've made some updates to our route. We are staying south and west as much as possible: I-10 to LA Area, then I-5 to Portland.

View Larger Map

We are still planning to leave this Saturday morning, but have a few things to finish up before we head out which may delay us a day. Either way, we are hoping to get to Portland within a week - weather permitting.

Winter Arrives in Austin

2008-12-10T17:42:00.001-06:00

Wow! At noon it is 81 degrees and by that night it was snowing. Welcome winter! (ok, for at least one night)

We were so excited we took the dogs for a midnight walk.

(you can just barely see Cyrus and the girls in their doggy vests)

I love these pictures because Boxers are such emotional dogs, and I think these illustrate how unhappy Matsi (particulary) and Eva were on our beautiful and rare snow walk.

We loved it though. :)

Getting our blood cooled down for our quickly upcoming trip...

Fall Arrives in Austin

2008-11-29T11:51:00.005-06:00

Yesterday we arrived home mid-afternoon after being gone only a day and night and found that the neighborhood had changed colors! I went for a walk this morning and walked blissfully through yellow and red falling leaves (ok, there's a lot of brown too - but I'm focusing on the YELLOW and RED!). :)

Here are some shots from around our place yesterday:

And from my walk this morning:

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T22:23:00.003-06:00

Family, food, football... Happy Thanksgiving!

True Definition of a Driver

2008-11-19T09:35:00.006-06:00

Got this from my dad and it is awesome. I have nothing further to add:

[The embed isn't working anymore: here's the link.]

And just when you thought it couldn't get any better, check THIS out!

Trader Joe's for Austin

2008-11-13T12:34:00.004-06:00

I started an online petition to ask Trader Joe's, an awesome "neighborhood grocery store", to come to Austin. It's about time they came to Austin!

If you live in Austin and want a Trader Joe's, SIGN HERE in the comments section. :)

Live Puppy Cam!

2008-11-11T12:27:00.006-06:00

Look! Puppies!! Now don't you feel better??

Live video by Ustream
[here's the link in case the embeded video stops working]

I found out about it in a Time.com article today.

I echo: Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

Why Mobile Blogging?

2008-11-04T21:32:00.004-06:00

I just tested sending a post via my cell phone. The reason?

In December we are moving Erik and Emily to Portland, OR, and taking advantage of the opportunity to have a fun road trip! The theme we've adopted is 'hot springs', hitting as many hot springs as possible on the way.

The general route is below:

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Basically, Austin to Portland with major tourist stops at White Sands, NM, Grand Canyon, AZ, Death Valley, CA, Redwoods, CA - with other stops in between. We are all so excited! ROAD TRIP!!!!!

As the plan evolves, I'll update the map. While we are on the road, I'm hoping to update the blog with cell phone pictures and such.

Testing Mobile Blogging

2008-11-04T20:28:00.001-06:00

I just followed the instructions to setting up a way to send posts to
the blog from my cell phone. This is my first test!

This is a picture I took of the girls on Sunday of the girls obeying
so well my request to stay in the laundry room at their grandparents
house in Bastrop.

Rocky Hill Results!

2008-10-25T13:39:00.012-05:00

So team "Big Wheel" (#158) placed 5th!! The preliminary results posted last Sunday had them at 6th, but the final results posted online Friday night showed 5th (4 Person Senior Sport)!

The team did a total of 21 laps in the 24 hour time. Each lap was about 10 miles and took anywhere from 55 to 75 minutes (night rides taking a little longer). We had a few mechanical break downs (a flat, a seat post clamp busted twice, spare tire tube fell off into gears, bent rims, busted spokes), but still placed in the top 5 of their category! Actually, with their time, they would have placed 3rd in the expert category (noted for next year). :)

How they did it: each rider did one lap at a time, like a relay race. As one came in from his ride, the next went out immediately. The order of riders was: Luke (he started off the race), Jared, Cyrus, and Ben (who finished up the last lap). We went through this rotation over and over throughout the evening, night, coooooold wee hours of the morning, etc. etc. :) It was exhausting but so much fun and so worth it. I would do it again in a heartbeat!

Here is a slideshow compiled from both my and Emily & Erik's pictures:

There were also two professional photographers at the race, and they took some good ones of the riders:

Luke:
Picture 1
Picture 2
Picture 3
Picture 4
Picture 5
Picture 6

Jared:
Picture 1
Picture 2
Picture 3
Picture 4
Picture 5
Picture 6
Picture 7

Cyrus:
Picture 1
Picture 2
Picture 3
Picture 4
Picture 5
Picture 6

Ben:
Picture 1
Picture 2
(must've gone to bed during Ben's night ride - we got lots of him though!)

Other cool ones:
Nightlights 1
Nightlights 2

Until next year... :)

Rocky Hill, Here We Come!

2008-10-16T18:52:00.006-05:00

Fueled by our new delicious veggies, we are heading out to Rocky Hill Ranch tomorrow to set up camp. The race starts Saturday at 12:00noon and ends Sunday at 12:00noon.

I most definitely will have the camera so expect to see some good shots when we return! :)

Just for fun, check out the menu we've planned:

Friday:
Dinner - BBQ in Bastrop

Saturday:
10:00am Breakfast/Brunch - Benny's Super Breakfast Burritos, coffee
12:00noon RACE BEGINS!
2:00pm Late Lunch - Sandwiches and Veggies
6:00pm Dinner - Beef Roast, Sweet Potatoes, Carrots
10:00pm Dinner - Shrimp Pesto Pasta, Ground Beef Marinara Pasta

Sunday:
2:00am Snack - Sandwiches, Left over roast and pasta, trail mixes
6:00am Breakfast - Fruit, Protein Smoothies
10:00am Breakfast - Breakfast egg casserole, coffee
12:00noon RACE ENDS!
1:00pm Lunch - Roadhouse Burgers

I think we're all going to sleep very well Sunday night.

Go Greenling!

2008-10-15T18:21:00.009-05:00

In an effort to add more local, fresh and seasonal veggies to our diet, we've started getting produce delivered by Greenling - we got our first box today!

We heard about this from some friends a while ago and just recently looked into it. People, this is impressive! You have full control over what is delivered and how often it is delivered (the most being once a week). From organic fruits and veggies to gluten-free products to grass-fed beef, dairy, bread, nuts... WOW!

There are also lots of starter baskets they suggest. We are getting the "Local Box" every other week, and here is our first box delivered to our front door today:

It includes a list of all the items delivered and simple cooking ideas for each item. Here are all the items we got:

How beautiful is that?

Tonight we are having roasted roma tomatoes (cut in half, set on baking sheet face up, drizzle with olive oil, dash with salt, roast at 300F for 45-60 min), and balsamic bibb salad (fresh bibb lettuce, thinly sliced red onions, olive oil and balsamic vinegar).

I'm sooooo excited!!!

Restless Blogger

2008-10-14T21:39:00.002-05:00

Ok, I think I've found a look I'd like to keep for a while. :) The flowers were fun, but just too much for me. I think this is better.

Testing YouTube

2008-10-14T12:55:00.005-05:00

I want to start posting videos here, especially of the typical boxer antics of the girls. So I customized a little YouTube channel, and here is the first test video uploaded:

(Explanation: In January 2007, we were on the Big Island of Hawaii. We hiked to a deserted beach, played on the beach all day, and are hiking back to the parking lot. I remember being totally exhausted fighting the wind on the road with salt on my skin (sounds much better than it felt at the time), and then Cyrus starts singing along to 'Candy Girl' (I think by the Four Seasons). It was too funny in my delirium to not capture.)

Hairstyles and Politics

2008-10-08T12:37:00.007-05:00

Ok first things first: I've been excited to show you all my new cut. This was a big deal for me, mostly because I hadn't planned on it being so short! Oh well... I am getting used to it. :)

And yes, I took this picture in my office - I'm blogging at lunch. ;)

I have been debating with myself (good choice of words eh?) about mentioning politics here on the blog. But one thing I will say: our intelligence is being insulted by campaign strategies. What has politics come to? Campaign people (whoever you are out there), do you really think Americans will take this garbage hook, line and sinker? I'm insulted.

Interesting reading at http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/category/fact-check/.

That may be all I say on politics on the blog for this election. Plenty of other bloggers say it so much better than I would. :)

24 Hours of Rocky Hill - October 18-19

2008-09-20T21:13:00.005-05:00

October 18th through 19th will be the 24 Hours of Rocky Hill mountain biking race at Rocky Hill Ranch in Smithville, Texas. The race is a 24 hour mountain bike relay race on a 10 mile course. Teams try to log as many laps as possible, with only 1 member riding at a time. The team with the most laps in the 24 hour time period wins. Cyrus and three other friends from church are competing as a team.

Why am I so excited? Long before Cyrus and I were engaged he competed in this race. I remember hearing about it and longing to be there as moral support and help out. Years later I get to be part of the support team! We have a campsite as a team, and I expect it to be a little more than the average camping. First aid, several solid meals, special sleeping places, and of course something for me to do during down times in the middle of the night. :) More good news: Bethel, a good friend of mine, is going to support her brother who will be on the team. That means we are going to have a lot of fun! There are also good hiking trails, so if we have a few hours we can hike around.

The team is training hard each week in preparation. I'm starting to make lists of items we may need (first aid always on my mind) and the kinds of meals we are going to prepare for them. This is going to be so much fun. Pray for all team members to complete the race safely (I believe last time they competed in this race a broken collarbone was involved).

I will post more as my excitement develops. :)

New Look

2008-09-20T18:58:00.002-05:00

So what do y'all think of the new look? I found some free blog templates at eblogtemplates.com, and was pretty impressed. Not sure if we're going to stick with this one... I'll have to see how it feels in a couple of days.

Stalking Kitty

2008-09-19T16:43:00.003-05:00

This is too cute I had to share:

Craving Fall

2008-09-14T22:52:00.003-05:00

Starting tomorrow we are getting some cooler weather - yep, only a high of 87. I've been craving fall sooooo badly, I decided to pull out some photos from our trip to Rockport, Massachusetts last fall. We were in Boston for my cousin's wedding and he took us on a day trip to Rockport.

For all of you missing fall, here is a little treat:

Back in the Blogosphere

2008-09-12T18:47:00.002-05:00

Tonight after being thankful for surviving a 5 week long bout of blog burnout (turns out I'm not the only one!), I was catching up on the latest posts from Hannah. Hannah is a writer and so I immediately become hooked and can't stop reading. (I love your blog Hannah! :) )

So I start to wonder if I could blog like her (burnout clearly on the mend). I am happy to concede that it will probably never happen - no use crying over spilled milk (that joke is proof that I will never blog like her). But I just made myself laugh out loud so I give myself 2 points!

Then it occurred to me that I did have one moment of literary genius in my life, so I have decided to share it with you. (Be warned that my standards for 'genius' are not particularly high...)

July 31, 2006

"Conversion of the Strongest Will" By Margo Cousins

One blistering afternoon in the kitchen of a central Texas home, my hungry husband paced about thinking of what to make for lunch. Opening the refriderator, "Gasp!" He was desperate and the blank shelves stared at him like a dry well in the desert.

In the next room, I was easily reclined on the couch immersed in a Sackett world of bravery in the wilderness. The vibes from the kitchen broke into my thoughts, disturbing the scenery of the sword fight between Jubal and Gomez among fifty plus Ute Indians. At once I recognized the severity of the situation. Dog-earing my spot, I set my book down and began to rise from the couch just as my love began to voice his concern over our certain starvation.

Hearing the quiver in his voice, I knew I must act quickly. Yes, I had failed as a domestic partner. Cleaning I could do, like no other domestican. But keeping the fridge stocked was a constant, nails-on-chalkboard struggle and I had given up the fight this week. Thus, I knew it was my duty to defray the potential damage that was about to hit hard. Thinking fast, I pulled a Burger King coupon from underneath a Leavenworth magnet on the fridge.

With a sweet smile, I presented a plan: "Honey, why don't you go get us some cheap food while I take care of (insert mind-numbing chore)." Eyes ablaze, he grasped the coupon from my hand.

"...Ok..." he whispered shakily. With food on the near horizon, he suddenly started to feel better and hugged me close to him as though I had saved us from a pack of rabid wolves. He reached for the keys and dashed out the door after his kill. Whew! I thought. I may not be a total failure after all. Jubal was beckoning me to return to the wilderness, but I must resist for now. (Insert mind-numbing chore) must be done before he returns.

He walked in the back door just as I was finishing up. We sat down to a delectable late lunch of greasy cheeseburgers, cold salty fries and Diet Coke. His voice was returning to normal, and I knew that my efforts had been a success. Just then, I noticed something different about our burgers. Firstly, his was much larger than mine. But what disturbed me most was a light-colored condiment oozing out of the side of his triple-whopper.

(My turn to gasp.) Mayo! Could it be? How could he have allowed this? He did not even want me to purchase mayo for myself, let alone allow it to touch his precious food. Maybe he had no choice. Maybe BK always lathers on the mayo. I looked down at mine - no Mayo!! I didn't have any! It is as I suspected...

I spoke my thoughts cautiously: "Honey, did you notice that your burger has mayo and mine doesn't?"

There was an awkward silence as he uneasily shifted in his chair. I had caught him in a weak moment. I could see his mind working: How will I explain this? She thinks I can't stand the stuff! Well, I have to admit that it's grown on me... but I should not let on that she has changed me! No! Be sly, Cy. Don't let her know.

"Um, actually, I don't mind it that much." The words hung in the air like midnight January snowflakes passing through the shining of a yellow streetlamp, in all their glory, and they could not be hidden.

I stared wide-eyed. Yes! As a devout mayo-an, I easily recognized a conversion when I saw one. Mental note: Buy a jar of mayo next time you go to the store, Margo. I could not hide my bliss, but I must. For he should never know that it was the plan all along. It only took four years, but the task has been completed. My husband loves mayo. Not to worry, Dear, I thought, your secret is safe with me. I won't even tell you.

"I see." I shrugged and let on as nothing had happened. He smiled a knowing smile, but neither of us would ever speak aloud what had transpired this day, the day the strongest will became a mayo-lover.

Acknowledgements:

I would like to thank Burger King for putting too much mayo on my husband's burger, revealing its presence on the day of the Conversion.

Hurricane Ike

2008-09-12T15:52:00.004-05:00

OK, I'm coming off of my major blogger burn out. My apologies for the severe lack of posting the last month.

Hurricane Ike is currently headed straight for the Texas coast. We in Austin shouldn't see more than some severe winds and rain, although nearby southern counties are expecting tropical storm winds (39-73mph).

Austin should be okay, but pray for those on the coast. We'll keep you updated. :)

Mi último día

2008-07-31T10:31:00.004-05:00

Ok, so I'm so far behind on posting. Today is my last day here, I get on the plane in a few hours and arrive back home-sweet-home tomorrow morning. So I really can't afford to spend too much time working on the blog right now, but will post more from Austin when I get back.

Here's one little picture from our Córdoba trip last weekend to satiate you blog readers. ;)

Cyrus will be staying here in Buenos Aires until August 21st to finish up his work before returning to Austin.

Orquesta Sinfónica

2008-07-24T17:19:00.013-05:00

Last Friday night we saw the Argentine Symphony Orchestra in the University of Buenos Aires Law School building. Firstly, here's a look at this incredible building:

Increíble, eh?

But the most interesting part was the show. It was a free show on a Friday night, and it was packed. By the middle of the first song, it was standing or aisle room only. Everyone was there: high elite, elderly, young hip kids, a bum off the street, foreigners, you name the social/economic/whatever class and I would bet it was represented at this show. And not only that, but everyone was absolutely riveted. There were a group of teenagers just in front of us in the floor seating and they were on the edge of their seat - literally - undivided attention glued to stage. It was a surprise that turned out to be an eye-opening cultural experience for us. I'm so glad we went! The music was really good, too. :)

Here are a few shots. I tried to upload a video to show how packed it was, but it is too big. :(

And there was standing ovation of course. The soloist came back for 4 encores! People!

Oh, and just for fun, here are some pictures of the (or at least one of the) engineering department building!

Ok, so tonight Cyrus and I are off to catch a midnight bus to Córdoba. I am really looking forward to visiting this much smaller city and will post pictures as soon as I can (not sure about the internet connection we'll have there). As it would happen, I came down sick last night and am still sick, so this 9 hour red-eye bus ride should be interesting indeed. :)

Mama's último día

2008-07-23T14:55:00.007-05:00

Today was my mom's last day here, so we went to our favorite nearby cafe Piacere for lunch and coffee. Here are few shots just for mama. :)

Her favorite here is cafe con crema: one shot of espresso, a tiny bit of milk with light foam, and a dab of whipped cream on top...

Thank you for visiting us Mom! See you soon! :)

Densidad de Población

2008-07-22T11:01:00.008-05:00

Buenos Aires is so densely populated, and that has been the hardest adjustment for us. I've been trying to find a way to describe it, and I think the following statistics (pulled from good ol' wiki) describe it well enough:

Buenos Aires (est. 1536, 1580):
Area
- City ......... 78.5 sq mi (203 km²)
- Metro ........ 1,837.1 sq mi (4,758 km²)

Population (2007 est.)
- City ......... 3,034,161
- Density ...... 38,711.5 ppl/sq mi (14,946.6/km²)
- Metro ........ 13,044,800

New York (settled 1624):
Area
- City ......... 468.9 sq mi (1,214.4 km²)
- Metro ........ 6,720 sq mi (17,405 km²)

Population (2007)
- City ......... 8,274,527
- Density ...... 27,147 ppl/sq mi (10,482/km²)
- Metro ........ 18,818,536

London (settled by Romans AD 50):
Area
- Greater London 609 sq mi (1,577.3 km²)

Population (2006 est.)
- City ......... 7,355,400
- Density ...... 12,331 ppl/sq mi (4,761/km²)
- Metro ........ 13,063,441

Los Angeles (settled 1781):
Area
- City ......... 498.3 sq mi (1,290.6 km²)
- Urban ........ 1,667.9 sq mi (4,319.9 km²)

Population (2006)
- City ......... 3,849,378
- Density ...... 8,205 ppl/sq mi (3,168/km²)
- Metro ........ 12,875,587

From my little bit of research, it seems that identifying the 'biggest cities' is a little bit of a complicated issue, but at least the numbers above give you an idea of how many people are packed into this city. Even more so, a lot of people in the metro area ride the buses and subways into the city to work. We've been on the subway during rush hour, and it is a like a mass cube of people squished into every square inch of the the subway car.

Café Tortoni

2008-07-21T22:17:00.013-05:00

Before heading to Cirque Du Soleil (see previous post), we had cortadas at Café Tortoni (wiki).

2008 marks the 150th year this cafe has been open in Buenos Aires! It is a major tourist spot. The first time Cyrus and I walked by it, the line to get in was unbelievable. This time the line was bearable, so we went ahead and waited.

It was worth it. The place is so beautiful and the cortadas and fresh media lunas (more on these later, I assure you) were excellent.

Planning and decisions being made over the map while we wait. ;)

mmm mmm

Más Aventuras

2008-07-21T22:09:00.000-05:00

I've been working on this post for days - not writing, but all pictures. We've just been so busy I haven't had much time. This is from last Wednesday.

I think I spelled Aventuras correctly this time. ;)

Monday morning my mom arrived for a short visit. We've been taking her around and out to dinner at some of our favorite places. But on Wednesday we had quite the aventura. We started off the day earlier getting work done around the apartment, all three of us clicking away on our little laptops. We decided to head down to the Palermo Alto mall to see when Wall-E is showing (because I really want to see it and they are willing to put up with it for me). This mall also has the only Starbucks in Argentina - recently opened a few months ago. We would not be proper Norte Americanos if we didn't see it. I did refrain from taking pictures, however. :)

Anyway, we quickly get distracted by all the signs about the Cirque Du Soleil Alegria show in Buenos Aires right now. We decide this is a better option than Wall-E (hmmm, Disney Pixar film over a live once-in-a-lifetime show... tough decision). So we buy our tickets for later that night and decide to head down to the center and see some of the government buildings and other downtown sights.

So that is where we shall start. First, we head down to Avenida 9 de Julio, only to a different section that we went to on Argentina's independence day. Here are some of the pictures from that area. I don't know how else to describe it other than pure craziness. Craziness people! These pictures just can't show how many people, cars and buildings are all squished in so close together.

Ciro, the trusty guide. ;)

At this point we head to this plaza of government buildings. Some of the really cool pictures are in this building that we think is the court house.

We got a little artistic on the pictures :)

This one is for Wanda from mom (the "W"s are for Wanda!)

The buildings in this area are (we think) all government buildings. It is incredible to see such old building standing right next to modern buildings.

So after seeing the government buildings we trekked for a couple blocks to find a cafe. Here are some shots from that walk...

I got in trouble for having my camera at cirque du soleil that night, so here are the few that I got:

We did soooo much in our evenings in the last couple days. I will try to be more diligent to post pictures and stories. More to come. :)

'Saterday Sandwich'

2008-07-19T17:11:00.005-05:00

I know I'm behind on posting our adventuras - sorry. :) I've got so much to post, I'm going to try to catch up a bit later tonight if I have energy.

But just for now before we run out the door again, this one is for Erik & Emily:

In case you are interested in trying it: steak (very thin and tenderized), ham, cheese, fried egg, tomato, lettuce, mustard all on freshly baked thin bread (not quite like flat bread, but very thin). :)

Cortado!

2008-07-15T17:52:00.008-05:00

Margo's new favorite coffee drink: the cortado (or cortada, cortadito). It is the perfect mid-afternoon-pick-me-up without sugar, too much milk, and over caffeination. It comes with a small cup of agua con gas (carbinated mineral water) and sometimes small biscuits.

mmm mmm :)

El Ateneo

2008-07-15T17:32:00.009-05:00

"The Bookstore to End All Bookstores"

Here's a little history on El Ateneo, and some pictures Cyrus took:

How 'bout them apples, Barnes and Noble? ;)

Los Archivos del Círculo Militar

2008-07-11T22:27:00.004-05:00

Ciro has been spending some time in archives here, and wanted to post a few pictures of the incredible architecture!

He said, "I could get used to working in archives like this!" ;)

Nuestro Apartamento

2008-07-11T14:30:00.001-05:00

Here are a few pictures of our lovely apartment. It's really nice, cute and simple. I really love it!

We are on the 4th floor above a busy street. Here are a few shots from the balcony:

Perito Moreno Glacier

2008-07-10T12:36:00.003-05:00

A large arch of the Perito Moreno Glacier in the Argentine Patagonia collapsed in a rare winter rupture that started last Friday. This is all over the news here, in every cafe we went to yesterday it was on the tvs:

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2008/07/09/von.argentina.glacier.tvn

Primeras Aventuras

2008-07-09T17:29:00.023-05:00

I left Houston at 9pm central time Monday and arrived in Buenos Aires at 9:15am Argentina time. It was 42F and sunny! Ciro (Cyrus en espanol) picked me up all excited and happy. :) Leondro, a member of the family Ciro has been staying with here that he met on his last visit, picked us up in his super cute and super tiny (for US standards) Peugeot! (Yes, I am having way too much geeky fun figuring out all the makes and models of cars here.) He drove us to our place, which took about an hour. I'm really not sure how to comment on the driving in Buenos Aires. Lines, if even there, are merely suggestions. Actually, I would say they have less authority than a suggestion. Thankfully, crosswalks are clear and respected!

After getting to our little apartment - I will have to post pictures later - we went out for a little adventure in the neighborhood of Palermo Viejo. We walked from the apartment northeast to the Plaza Italia, and down Avenida Sarmiento to the Monumento a los Espanoles. The picture below has the monument behind us:

Lots and lots of little parks and lakes are in this area of Palermo, with monuments everywhere! And some of them are HUGE. HUGE!

In my defense of this picture, it was Cy's idea. But I wasn't protesting. :)

We came home and I slept for about 3 hours. Then we went and picked up a pizza, and I am now officially ruined for pizza. The eyes of my pizza stomach have been opened to REAL pizza. Argentina food has a strong Italian influence, and add the Argentine flair and it is amazing. Have to post the $6 large pizza we had for dinner that ruined me for life:

Last night we had dinner with the family Cy has been staying with. None of them speak English, and I speak very little Spanish. But Zuni, the grandmother, was adamant that Cyrus NOT translate for me. She said I have to learn without translation! All of this after flying all night! But she was right, by the end of the night I was able to communicate some things, albeit messy, and understand more than I thought I could, and on my first day. That was quite encouraging, and very, very fun. They made pizza for us for dinner... and the food just keeps getting better here. ;)

Ok, and quickly onto our adventure for today. After sleeping 12 hours last night (yes, I was exhausted), I got up and did some work from the apartment. My skype calling works beautifully. :) We headed out and rode the subte (subway) to Avenida 9 de Julio - the largest street I have EVER seen. We were following a guide for a 'coffee walk', which took us on a route to stop at a bunch of famous Buenos Aires cafes. We had to stop after three in fear of having a heart attack from all the espresso we were drinking! :)

We walked all over this area and I couldn't say exactly all that we saw in addition to the cafes, but here are some of the best pictures:

On Avenida Florida, a pedestrian only street full of shops and artisans. Very touristy.

La Casa Rosada en la Plaza de Mayo. If you've seen Evita, this is where Juan y Eva Peron give their speeches to the excited mass of Argentines.

This is la Avenida 9 de Julio, honoring Argentina's Independence day on July 9th. We were here on July 9th! :)

We are now off for dinner. I am way too tired to proofread for spelling errors and typos as I normally would - so I apologize. ;)

South again!

2008-07-07T10:39:00.002-05:00

Ok, I leave this afternoon for Buenos Aires. I will post a report in a few days. :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO CYRUS TODAY!

North!

2008-06-30T19:18:00.033-05:00

Ok, so I've been dying to tell y'all about what I've been up to since Wednesday but had to wait so I wouldn't give away the surprise... Here's the story:

Early this spring, Chrisy Wu (formerly Goff) sent an email to a bunch of girls (women?) that were on a road trip through the redwoods in northern California almost 10 years ago, calling for a road trip reunion! 65 emails later (and I am not exaggerating by much), six of us are available this summer to do it and we set the last weekend in June as our weekend getaway.

Thanks to Emilie's (yes, the other Mrs. Cousins) diligent research, we reserved a cabin near Mazama, WA in the Methow Valley: the Rock 'N River House! All of us but Megan and myself have young children and there was no cell reception - just a snoopy phone - so here's a HUGE SHOUT OUT TO THE MEN (boys?) taking care of the babies!! MUUUUUCHAS GRACIAS!!!

Since my mom's birthday is June 30th (today), I thought it would be perfect to come up secretly for the first annual girls getaway weekend and then surprise her on her birthday! I was thinking to go to Pullman for a few days, ride to Mazama with Julie and Emilie, meet Christy, Megan and Carolyn (the trooper who is 8 months pregnant) at the cabin, and then hitch a ride to Issaquah (where my parents live) with the girls heading west on Sunday. The plan was to just show up at their door and surprise her! Just to be safe, I emailed my dad my plans. Turns out that they were going to be in Idaho on a rafting trip and were going to be heading back west to Issaquah on that day. So Plan B was that I would return to Pullman on Sunday and my parents would come through Pullman on the way home on Monday and stop by Reese & Emilie's for the surprise. But that is not exactly how it happened...

Before I relay the happenings that are inevitable on this kind of trip, here are some photos from the stay at the house. We gathered river rocks and painted them! It was so fun. Be sure to check out Jujie's amazing bulldog:

(By the way, these are all pics I took, so I don't have too much of me yet until I get pics from all the other girls.)

So all went as planned until Sunday after checking out. We took a group picture (don't have it yet), met the owners and headed out for a fun time in Winthrop before hitting the road in our separate directions. Emilie, Julie and I are in the lead in the 'Ru and Christy, Carolyn and Megan behind us slow way down and start flashing their lights. We think 'uh oh' and stop. Christy pulled off the road into a driveway and tell us that 'something that looks like an apple' fell off the car and then the oil light went on. Clearly this was bad. So Emilie, Megan, Julie and I head back to look for the apple-like object and there in the middle of the road is a red oil filter! As would be expected, so is all of the car's oil. :(

So it turns out that we happened to (or, as it was arranged ;) ) have pulled into the driveway of the nicest family EVER. They came out to help us. They jacked up the car, put the filter back on (thanks to Megan who also amazingly found the gasket in the gravel on the side of the road). We got some oil, filled her up, and turned her over. She started and all was well until oil started pouring out of the bottom, filter still firmly attached.

Ok, so we are now 2 hours into this ordeal on a 100+ day, we are hot and wondering what to do. Christy decides to call AAA and get the car towed. Only problem, we still do not have cell reception and the family just built their house so they don't have a phone line yet. All of us can't pile into Emilie's car and our pregnant Carolyn decides she needs to stay and rest. So I stay with her as everyone heads into town to call AAA. I wish so much I had taken pictures of our time with this cute, sweet, generous family. He was a liuetenant colonel in the air force, a pilot who just got back from Iraq. His wife and their 3 and 6 year old daughters, and his brother who was an EMT (to my relief, as it is 100 degrees and Carolyn is very pregnant) and his son were all there. The 3 yr old daughter was not shy and she totally got me wrapped around her finger from the start. I drew her a tinker bell, and she colored it in. I thought it was decent, then she asked me to draw her a "real tinker bell". It was so fun and relaxing to hang out with them while we waited, and they took excellent care of Carolyn. :) It was at least 1.5 hours before Christy showed up with the tow truck and then the rest followed. We towed the car to Twisp (had to forgo the day in Winthrop), and ate lunch. Megan's dear husband Fransisco offered to come pick up the three girls since the car was going to have to stay overnight and they had to get back.

Here are some pics:

(The mechanic in Twisp said that the wrong size filter was put on, which was the whole problem. He put the correct size on and the car is okay. In case you are wondering, that was a Jiffy Lube mistake...)

At that point I finally came into cell reception and got a message from my dad that they were in Leavenworth! So after much deliberation (Twisp and Leavenworth are not as close as it may seem) Plan C was to meet in Ephrata... That's right: in the middle of NOWHERE. Somehow my dad managed to get my mom in the car to leave Leavenworth for her "big birthday surprise". By coordinating via texts (when we had reception), we were able to get my dad to drive by on the road where I was pretending to hitchhike! Oh the shock on her face! I wish I had pictures to show. I will have to get some from Emilie and Julie. :) Here's another HUGE SHOUT OUT TO EMILIE AND JUJIE for being willing to get me to Ephrata for Plan C. ;)

From there I went back to Leavenworth with my parents. It is so beautiful. If you don't know about Leavenworth, check it out; it is becoming a world-wide known destination.

Signing off for now. Judging by the feel of my neck, I don't expect that I will have too many more posts of this magnitude in the near future. ;)

South!

2008-06-28T09:54:00.005-05:00

Ok, checking in for the first time! :)

Cyrus arrived safely in Buenos Aires on Wednesday morning. He is staying with a family he met when he visited in 2005, and it sounds like he is having a wonderful time. I will relay a few exciting items he's told me: the first is that he has the internet where he is staying so I can Skype with him! (yay!) :) The family he's staying with has taken him out to delicious Argentine meals. I think he said they were taking him to see a musical one of their friends or family was in last night. Tonight I believe they are going to a choir performance in an old church. (I have to get him to add some juicy details for the blog.) ;)

He also met someone who served under General Ongania, a military dictator during the time Cy is studying. He has an interview lined up - which is VERY exciting! There are some archives near where he is staying that are also going to be extremely useful to him. I know that he was ecstatic. :) So he is doing well. And as soon as I have some pictures from him I will post them.

I have more exciting stuff to post - but will post soon.

Nerd Score

2008-06-18T19:16:00.000-05:00

Self explanatory I guess. :) Thanks Hannah!

All Birds CAN Fly

2008-06-14T10:37:00.005-05:00

I'm not so sure about this marketing strategy for the LOTTERY. But a neat commercial anyhow.

I love the penguin...

Post-Op Report #2

2008-06-14T10:25:00.004-05:00

Girls got up and ate breakfast this morning. Everything is going very well.

I looked over the doctor's discharge notes and saw her comment: "Matsi was wonderful!". Makes a doggy mama proud. :)

Temporary New Blog Colors

2008-06-13T19:20:00.003-05:00

So we are changing up the blog while we are in Argentina this summer. I plan on blogging as much as I can while we are there, so I thought it was appropriate to change it up a bit.

The building in the header pictures is "some governmental building" in Cordoba, the city Cy lived in during his last visit in 2005. We plan on finding out the real name of this building (and posting new pics from our trip this summer).

I hope you enjoy!
Cyrus & Margo

Surgery Day

2008-06-13T13:38:00.004-05:00

Today both girls had surgery to be spayed. Their vet just called and said they did very well and are awake and recovering well. We're going to go pick them up in a few hours. :)

Before we do, we're going to get them another bed though, so they have their own little beds to rest in. I'll post post-op pics soon. :)

Post-op pics added below. Doggies are totally sacked out with little shaved bellies:

They haven't moved from this sleeping position since they got home. We love these two so much. :)

Argentina Bound!

2008-06-05T18:37:00.004-05:00

Alright everyone, here is the first post of my first journey to Argentina! Cyrus received enough funding to go down for 8.5 weeks (correction from 10 weeks posted earlier), and includes my tickets as well. We'll be mainly in Buenos Aires:

So far the dates of our travel are, Cyrus will be there from June 24 to August 21, and I will be there from July 7 to July 31.

More later! We are looking for apartments right now. :)

Feel Better Instantly

2008-05-22T11:24:00.002-05:00

You will feel so much better after perusing this list of 'bunneh' fluff!

Abigail's OU Graduation

2008-05-18T14:07:00.002-05:00

Last weekend we went up to Norman, Oklahoma for Abigail's graduation from University of Oklahoma (aka UT football rival: OU Sooners).

Despite the persistent UT vs OU (HOOK'EM!), it was a lovely time. Reese, Cy & Abigail's eldest brother, came down to surprise Abigail. He arrived into Oklahoma City on Thursday night, stayed downtown (another story entirely), took the train to Norman the next day, and covertly followed Abigail throughout the day. He finally popped out to surprise her during our family tour of the OU campus. All of this is well documented by many a cameras :)

The only hitch: I blew the surprise about 2 weeks beforehand. :( I finally confessed to everyone of my sin during the graduation dinner. Whoa, I felt terrible. It turned out great, though, and I don't think they are going to excommunicate me from the family. :) Whew!

We also got a chance to visit the OKC bombing memorial at night - a very moving and peaceful place. I'd highly recommend it.

Here are a sampling of photos from our trip. CONGRATS again Abigail!! :)

Cartagena, Colombia

2008-05-18T13:55:00.004-05:00

OK finally! Pictures from Cy's trip to Cartagena: